Headdress or headgear equipment have long been a normal part of military attire to protect the wearer, as well as to support equipment thereon. Headgear apparatus for supporting night vision equipment, and over which protective helmets can be worn is illustrated in U.S. application Ser. No. 808,152 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,879 filed Dec. 12, 1985, and assigned to the Assignee hereof.
In the noted application, a chin cup and strap arrangement are provided for securing the headgear to the wearer's head. A chin cup constructed of leather, sewn to canvas straps or webbing has been developed, and is well known in the art, for use with the noted headgear. Because of the direct contact of the chin cup with the facial tissue of the wearer, military specifications require a non-allergenic leather to protect against skin or tissue reactions due to the skin sensitivities of various individuals. Presently, the only source of a leather which fulfills the specification is from a hairless sheep found only in Nigeria, Sudan, and various other foreign countries. Because of the tanning process and chemicals involved, such leather cannot be processed in the United States. Accordingly, the leather material is expensive, and often in limited supply.
Helmets used in athletic events often utilize chin cups and associated straps for fastening to the wearer's head. Such chin cups have been constructed of an ordinary cowhide leather and sewn to canvas strap webbing. More recently, chin cups used in connection with sports helmets are preformed foam covered with a vinyl/nitrile non-allergenic coating. The sports headgear securing apparatus is not well adapted for use with military equipment.
From the foregoing, it can be seen that a need exists for an improved chin cup and material which is easily available, cost effective, and which does not compromise any of the advantages presented by the materials heretofore used.